The Dutch arm of OC&C Strategy Consultants has recently moved into its new office in Rotterdam near the Maas, taking over the former office building of the Dutch Central Bank. The interior of the new office is designed by Fokkema & Partners architects and combines the rawness of the port of Rotterdam with a fine finish that calls forth tranquillity.

With more than 500 consultants in Europe, Asia, and North and South America, OC&C Strategy Consultants is one of the larger strategic advisory firms in the world. OC&C is specialised in private equity, FMCG, retail, transportation and logistics, and has successfully positioned itself among the larger strategy players like McKinsey & Company, The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and Bain & Company.

In recent years, the Dutch office of OC&C was located at Weena 157, in Rotterdam. The firm announced last year that it would move its Dutch operations to a "beautiful office building" encompassing some 2,000 m2, at Boompjes 250, Rotterdam, located next to the Maas river in the former office building of the Dutch Central Bank ('De Nederlandsche Bank'). Dirk Rens, partner at OC&C Strategy Consultants, said last year: "After twenty years at Weena it was time for a new office space. Boompjes offers a beautiful 'industrial Rotterdam' look and therefore fits well with culture at OC&C Strategy Consultants."

For the design of the interior the strategy consultancy hired in Fokkema & Partners Architects. Originally the strategy consulting firm proposed a traditional office layout, with large closed areas. OC&C and Fokkema & Partners analysed the merits of various interior designs, and, after careful analysis, a combination of closed and open workspaces was decided on.

The design and layout uses, on the one side, the raw feel of recycled materials, which reflect the raw atmosphere of the port of Rotterdam. Examples include used concrete columns and steel beams from bridges, which are incorporated into the interior, but also the table tops, which are made of wood which was previously used for coal shipments. On the other side, the architects opted for a fine finish of these raw elements. It was also decided that the simple lines and specific interior details that refer to the history of the former DNB office building, which dates back to the '50s, would stay in place.

The workplaces for OC&C’s consultants run alongside the façade. In addition, employees have easy access to conference rooms, which are housed in the middle of the office space. On the office’s top floor there are two terraces and a bar. Looking at the spatial aspects of the office, Fokkema & Partners choose for continuous, long sightlines accompanied by strategically placed elements. The design brings with it, according to the architects, a certain peace of mind: "The design is intended to keep the symmetry intact and add any elements that disturb them. Thanks to the visual tranquillity is a special element is the spiral staircase through additional advantage.”

Finally, with respect to the colour scheme of the new office interior, it was chosen on the basis of a tone-on-tone palette of colour. Fokkema & Partners: "For added contrast there are black elements and lines, as seen in the ceilings, windows and cabinets. The elements are positioned so that all the elements are visible regardless of the point on the interior. Thanks to the 'neutral' colour scheme the art collection also stands out."